Mr. Hubert Gerald Finley Sr was a resident of Dothan, AL. He passed away in June 2004. He was cremated and his remains were given to a family member who also resided in Dothan. In 2013 that family member moved, and the new homeowner discovered the remains of Mr. Finley in a plastic bag inside a cardboard box. She called the Dothan Police Department and turned it in as “found/abandoned property”. Years passed and no one came to claim Mr. Finley.
Lieutenant Collins became the supervisor over evidence/storage in November 2021. When he was made aware of Mr. Finley, he immediately determined that this was unacceptable and began looking for options. He attempted to locate any family willing to take possession of the remains and was unsuccessful, but he didn’t stop there.
Lieutenant Collins teamed up with Officer Hunt and began reaching out to local businesses for assistance. After hearing the story of Mr. Finley, Derrick Wright of Wright Funeral Home and Crematory donated an Ern to hold the remains. Kimberly Rawls of Family First Funeral Care donated a vault to hold the Ern. The City of Dothan Cemetery provided a burial plot.
On 6/24/22 at 7:00am Lieutenant Collins and Officer Hunt dug the burial plot for Mr. Finley before they reported to work. Dothan Police Sergeant Morgan, pastor of New Seasons Fellowship, came on his day off and conducted a burial ceremony. Lt Collins then spent his own money, combined with a donation from Dothan attorney Kevan Kelly, for a Cemetery Marker for the gravesite. The marker will be placed at the burial site on 7/13/2022 to mark Mr. Finley’s final resting place.
In a time where you often see more bad news than good, I am extremely proud to be part of a community and department full of people that truly have a heart for helping others. It is my honor to publicly commend these officers and citizens on a job well done.
Chief Will Benny
Dothan Police Department
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